


Infrastructure

by AmethystAmaranthus



Series: Electricity [1]
Category: Compilation of Final Fantasy VII
Genre: F/M, slight AU
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-08-23
Updated: 2021-02-07
Packaged: 2021-03-06 14:14:54
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 6,444
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26070232
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AmethystAmaranthus/pseuds/AmethystAmaranthus
Summary: Evan is coming back to the city of Midgar, from spending sometime away, she thinks it's only a short visit so she can get back to her life outside of the city she grew up in. However, with the news her uncle gives her, it'll be harder for her to leave. Or maybe she just won't want to.This is going to feel more Rufus centric for awhile, but end goal is to be Reno/OC
Relationships: Reno (Compilation of FFVII)/Original Female Character(s), Rufus Shinra/Original Female Character(s)
Series: Electricity [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1892608





	1. City of Mako

The sky had been cloudy since she boarded the train, only now as she was carried into darker clouds did the sky clap and rain like buckets. Her fingers caress the trail of one of the drops before dropping her hand in her lap. The last day she’ll see any grass for a while as she’s carried to the city wall. Evan sighs before kicking her feet up on the bench seat across from her. Her dried muddy boots on the velour seat, she doesn't seem to match the room with which she has to herself. Her dark long brown hair is thrown into a simple braid over her right shoulder. Her light honey-colored amber eyes match the earth tones in the rest of her simple outfit that is still lightly covered in dirt and dust. She leans her warm face onto the cool glass and watches the scenery go by.

A small ping sounds off from her phone.

**[Elena]** _Are you still coming into town tonight?_

**[Evan]** _ I should, I think I’m only another hour or two outside the city. _

**[Elena]** _We should do dinner just you and I then, before drinks._

**[Elena]** _What sector are you arriving in?_

__

**[Evan]** _ I should be in Sector 8, my hotel is reserved in 2. _

**[Elena]** _I’ll help you with your luggage, and meet you at the station._

**[Evan]** _ You don’t have to, this night out is for you. _

**[Elena]** _Yeah, but you haven’t been to the city in over 5 years._

**[Elena]** _I miss you, Evs._

**[Evan]** _ I miss you too, Elena, _

**[Evan]** _ Okay, I’ll see you at the station. _

Evan slips her phone between her thighs as she picks up the book that is sitting next to her, and reads it while the rain falls over the dry dirt outside. 

__

The long boisterous howl of horn jostles Evan, her legs jump underneath her, she slips her phone in her back pocket, and she rises to her feet. She slips her book in her purse, pulls on the back pack and drags two full-size suitcases out the door, off of the train. Her eyes graze over the crowd of people until she sees her bubbly blonde friend frantically waving her arm. They both start moving toward one another, Elena being able to move quicker as she wasn’t dragging two suitcases behind her. Elena slides right up next to her, and slips her hand into pulling on one of Evan’s suitcases. 

“That’s not the one you wa—“ Elena did not anticipate the weight and didn’t quite make an easy step forward.

“It’s fine, I can still keep up,” Elena says as she jogs a couple steps to catch up to Evan. “Anyway, we have to catch another closer to the divide by sector 1,”

“Alright, lead the way,”

Topside Midgar was like any bustling metropolis, busy, loud, tall buildings, people walking, cars zipping past, street peddlers, and bright lights. Evan didn’t much miss it, except maybe for the feeling of privacy in a public place. No one cares about one another here, unless people knew who you were, she didn’t mind that too much. 

They’re both laughing, tears in their eyes as they walk into Evan’s high-rise hotel room. Through the open window streams in the light of the setting sun, setting just to the left of the ShinRa headquarters building. Evan groans as she lets her suitcase go and sets in to close the curtains. 

“Best view in the city my ass,” Evan rants, “can’t even enjoy a view of the sunset.”

Evan swings the lighter suitcase onto the bed and proceeds to open it, Elena struggles a little in placing the other one on the wooden luggage rack and goes to open it.

“Don’t!” Evan stops her, “that’s full of papers I’m not ready to wrestle back in order yet, so just leave it.”

Elena stops fiddling with the latches and steps back. “Alright, sorry.” Elena breathes “Where would you like to go for dinner?”

“Why don’t we just order room service for food and change for drinks with Chloe and Maggs,” Evan suggests.

“I don’t need to change do I?” 

“Elena, I love you, but they will tear you open if you’re wearing your work suit to a social event,”

“But it’s to celebrate my new job, I thought it’d make sense I wear my suit,”

“You don’t need to wear it all the time, you’re allowed to be feminine off the clock,”

Elena looks down at her only slightly fitted suit.

“You can borrow something of mine, I brought plenty of nicer outfits than your Turk suit,” Evan digs through her suitcase, pulling out a black pencil skirt. “At minimum wear this without the jacket and you’re golden but if there’s something in here you like more wear it.” Evan continues to dig until her fingers feel the slick satin and pulls out a plum colored cocktail dress. Digging through the backpack she unceremoniously threw on the bed she pulls out her toiletries bag, and heads for the bathroom. 

“Wait!” Elena calls Evan’s attention. “What did you want from room service?”

Evan ponders for a moment, “Just get me a burger and some fries, with a hot tea,” she steps inside the bathroom, but before closing the door, “you can just put it to the room,”

Elena places the call down to the restaurant in the lobby, and she then carefully looks through Evan’s clothes, enjoying a yellow long-sleeved blouse to pair with the black skirt. Elena changes, relieved that she and Evan were able to share shoes back in school, so that she could also borrow a pair of heels for the sleek outfit instead of her clunkier work shoe. 

The food arrives while Evan is still in the shower, but the thought of food hurries her quest to be clean, stepping out of the bathroom clad in a fluffy white robe, she rushes to the desk where her burger sits on a plate with fries. Elena is sitting at the chair by the balcony doors eating a wrap. 

As Evan is just snacking on fries she asks,”So, where exactly are we going?” 

“Some new place here in sector 2, Chloe picked it out, I don’t go out nearly as much as the two of them.”

“You’re probably not missing much, the city’s shiny neon luster dies out after while,”

“Why were you coming back to Midgar anyway?”

“It’s not permanent,” Evan starts and adjusts her posture so she’s facing more to Elena, than to her food. “My uncle wants to see me and discuss something I guess, and obviously to see if my glowing recommendation got you the job.”

“Well I’m glad I get to see you, and I don’t know whether to thank you or slap you for that favor, it feels weird, like I owe you, or something.”

“Don’t, because it wasn’t my recommendation, it was your interview that brought it on, dude,” Evan picks up another fry, “but on another note, you need a night to celebrate out anyway,”

“Yeah,”

“Let’s hurry up and eat, and then I can get dressed and we can head out,”

  
  


___

Evan and Elena steps out of the cab out front of the club  _ The Place _ . The clear white light of their signage is as bright as the sun in the dark sky.

“Isn’t that a little pretentious? The Place?” Evan asks as they approach.

“ELENA!!!” Two girls walking along the sidewalk, yell and run over to them.

“Chloe!” Elena greets the taller one with a hug, “Maggs!” and the other also with a hug. 

Evan gives each a little less enthusiastic of a hug.

“We’re on the list so we can skip this line,” Chloe chimes in once they’re done greeting, and turns on her heel to walk toward the entrance where a line has formed. Maggs leans forward and grabs Elena’s hand and pulls her toward the entrance and Evan pulls up the rear swatting cameras away, as Evan hears the reporters interviewing people in the lines about a Grand Opening.

“So, on a club's first night open, how do you get ‘on the list’?” Evan asks Chloe and Maggs.

“Maggs, just so happens to be dating the owner, Mr. Elijah Walsh,” Chloe gushes over her friend.

“Nice perks, then!” Evan remarks.

“Why are you always so weird about people’s accomplishments?” Maggs accuses Evan, as they are led in through front doors by a host. The ceilings hang modern chandeliers dim for the night, with splashes of gold and red accents everywhere. With dark wood detailed furniture from the red velour plush seating to the long curve of the bar and the covered tables across the room with a beautiful dark mahogany dance floor in front of the stage, where a brass band poured out liquid jazz.

“I’m not, I only don’t want someone to pursue me in the way that they have to flaunt up silly ways to impress me, I just want someone in my life who wants what I want.”

“So, if he was below your station but he wanted to do,... whatever it is you actually do,” Evan rolls her eyes at that remark, “You’d date him?”

“Yeah, or her if it’s a woman,” Evan pauses, turns her attention to Maggs. “I don’t want someone that thinks the way to get to me is wealth. I have some. It's okay, but not important. If you want someone to provide for you that’s fine, I just don’t need a flaunt of what they can do for me, as if they’re showing the world, I can do without that kind of flamboyance.”

“Hey girls, let's grab a table and get our first round of drinks in,” Elena butts in, linking her arms through both of theirs to curb the conversation. 

  
  


___

A couple rounds of drinks into the evening and Elena keeps looking toward the door. “What’s up?” Evan asks by leaning into her ear, as Maggs is explaining something.

“I told a couple of co-workers i had plans tonight, and apparently it was an invitation? One of them texted me that he and another are coming, and I’m just anticipating it I guess, I’m sorry.”

“Don’t worry about it, sure it’ll be fine,” Evan responds going back to her drink, “If anything we can use it as an escape tactic,” She finishes slinging back the drink in her hand.

Elena shakes her head at her friend with a smile as she goes back to her drink. 

“OOOOH!!!” Chloe starts excited all of a sudden, “before I forget, I didn’t want to outshine Elena’s moment, but I don’t know when I’ll see you both again but,” Chloe pulls out the necklace that falls into her bodice, on it is a giant rock of a ring, “I got engaged!!” 

“Congratulations!!” both Elena and Evan say at the same time, with Elena being much more authentically enthusiastic.

“Why is it around your neck, and not on your finger?” Evan asks.

“Oh, well we still have to tell our families, it just happened so I didn’t want word to get back to our parents’ before we get there.”

“Well, who’s the lucky guy!?” Elena asks.

“Aidan Palmer! He’s doing his residency in sector four, and we’re getting a house together in sector 5,”

“That’s so cute! I’m so happy for you!!”

Evan finishes the rest of her drink in one big gulp, and stands up, “I’m stepping out for a smoke, anyone interested?” by lack of enthusiasm, she wanders herself towards the bathrooms, down a hallway near the kitchen entrance, and finds the back door she steps out of and into a neon lit alleyway. Evan sits on an upside down milk crate, pulls out a tin from her clutch, and begins rolling a joint. 

Lost in her ministrations she doesn’t notice the figure stepping into the green neon light with a lit cigarette lean over the dumpster dividing them, “you gonna share that, yo?” Evan visibly jolts and looks up at him. “Or am I gonna have to report you?”

“A little green in bribes to avoid a fine, that’s an easy answer in my book, it’s always more fun in company,” Evan stands and licks closed the rolling paper, placing the joint between her lips she pats at her hips as if her dress as pockets, but before she can even get mad about it, the stranger has produced fire for her joint. He holds it up to her joint as she leans in toward him and the fire.

“Smoking or just being high is better in company?”

She holds the joint out to him, “Why can’t it be both?” she exhales the smoke over her shoulder so the wind can carry it away.

He shrugs noncommittally, accepting the offered joint between his fingers and hitting it a couple times before turning it back and bringing his left hand up with his still lit cigarette to his lips. 

“You here with anyone?”

“I wouldn’t be getting high at a venue like this if I was by myself,” The stranger steps more around the dumpster so they can be closer to share the joint between them. This movement brings him into better light, to see the vibrancy of his red hair, and his teal irises.

“And if you’re getting high by yourself this person isn’t your partner?”

“Nope,” she pops the ‘p’ with an exhale of smoke, “just a small girls night,”

“Yeah?”

“Mmmhmmm, one got a new job, another got engaged,”

“Exciting,” he drawls out through another drag of his cigarette.

“Eh engagements are a dime a dozen really, this trip is essentially my ‘vacation’, but it’s not even filled with the fun things to do here.”

“Yeah, what kind of wild hot girl shit you want to get yourself into in the City of Mako?”

Evan laughs, “I don’t know, making bad decisions is my forte’ some would say.”

“What do you have to do in the city?”

“Visit my uncle, and pester an old friend mostly, nothing too demanding,”

“Do you want to make it more exciting?” he leans in closer toward her placing his right hand on the exterior brick above her head as he does.

Tilting her head up toward this strange man’s face where the neon light really emphasizes the green in his eyes and gleans off of the googles he wears atop his head. “And what could you possibly have in mind?”

He leans in closer, forearm leaning into the wall as he dips his face towards her to whisper in her ear, “Sex, with an absolute stranger, we don’t exchange names, we just fuck sometime during your trip, and you have the perfect story for all your friends back home of the best sex you’ve ever had.”

Evan turns her face to his unaffected, “You do think awfully highly of yourself don’t you?”

“Can’t blame a man for trying,”

“I’m not, just commenting that maybe you can’t compete with the sex I’ve had,” With the last remark she stubs out the roach on the brick alley floor, snatching the cigarette between his lips taking a drag while remaining eye contact before giving it back to him and departing back inside.

Approaching the table her friends are at she recognizes the bald man wearing sunglasses inside at the table and rushes over with a smile on her face and leans over to envelop the larger man in a hug.

“It’s always good to see you, Rude,”

The man acknowledges her sentiment with a grunt before taking a drink from the dark glass bottle that is in his hand. Evan turns to sit back down herself.

Elena turns to her, “Reno should be around too,”

Evan looks up at Rude, “I don’t know him, do I? Is he new?”

“No, he was hired in by Veld shortly after you left the city,” Rude informed her, lifting the bottle to his lips for a drink.

“Do you wanna fuck with him?” Evan asks enthusiastically, Rude only snorts. “Great, act like you’ve only met me.”

“What’s that supposed to accomplish?” Elena asks.

“I’m meeting with Tseng about something before I meet with Uncle Reeve for lunch.” After a brief pause Evan shrugs, “I don’t know, it’d be entertaining to me I guess?”

“Are you that easily amused, Evan?” Chloe asked Evan.

“Entertainment is entertainment, and if he doesn’t think I’m anyone of importance before he knows me it could be a way to gauge his character,”

Rude snorts to hold back a chuckle, Elena snickers a little.

“You’ll be entertained alright,” Elena addresses.

A waitress approaches their table and quietly addresses Maggs. She stands up “I guess Elijah is looking for me, if I don’t come back or see you three before I leave it was so much fun doing this, and we should do it again soon, before Evan leaves again,” Chloe stands up to hug her and Elena stands up to give her a hug over the drinking table. With pause Evan stands up and also pulls Maggs in for an embrace before she departs.

“I’m gonna go up to the bar and order another round, Elena another Tequila Sunrise?” Elena nods, “Rude, another stout?” he raises his nearly empty glass to her, “Chloe? another Gin and tonic?” 

“Yes, that’d be lovely, thank you,” Chloe answers.

“Solid,” and Evan heads toward the bar.

Upon returning to their table, the mysterious stranger she shared her joint with was sitting in Maggs’ vacated seat. 

When he caught a glimpse of her, he simply turns to look at her “It’s you!” he exclaimed, pointing toward her.

“Uh, of course it’s me, who else would I be,” she replied easily as she slid back into her seat after handing everyone their drinks.

A pointed look was thrown in her direction from him.

“Evan, this is Reno, Rude’s partner,” Elena introduced.

“Rude didn’t strike me as the type, but congratulations.”

Rude nearly choked on the last bit of his first beer. Elena chuckled knowing her friend knew better. 

“Well, it’s getting late, and my fiancé likes to go to bed together, so I better get going, Rude, Reno, it was a pleasure to meet you, Elena, and Evan let’s do this again soon.” Chloe addressed and walked around the table to hug both Elena and Evan goodbye.

When Evan feels Chloe was decently long gone she gets to her feet, picks up her glass and downs the rest of it in a showy fashion. “Now that they’re gone can we ditch this bougie club for a real drink elsewhere?”

“Where are you thinking?” 

“Anywhere that doesn’t have a dress code, I don’t wanna wear this dress anymore,”

“Most places still require you to wear clothing,”

“Fuck it, let’s just hit a liquor store get some beer, and such, and just have drinks at my hotel room,”


	2. The Memo

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Evan goes to see her Uncle, the whole reason for her visit to the city.
> 
> also, I know this incredibly late even only being chapter 2, I've been busy at work through the holidays though this chapter sat finished, I was hoping to get a friend to proof read it for me, but alas we're all too busy trying to survive, so sorry if it's a bit rough.

The Memo

Stepping out onto the clean pavement of the sidewalk to her hotel, Evan asks the maitre D’ to hail her cab as she digs through her purse for a pair of shades. The sun’s luminescence is too bright for her this morning. The cab pulls up, and she holds the glasses to her face and her head in pain. 

“Where to miss?” the cab driver asks her as he looks at her through the rear view mirror.

“Sector zero please, the ShinRa building,” She replies quietly so she doesn’t jar her own hangover too much with the power of her voice.

Unlike her simple travel outfit of the previous day, the ensemble of her golden-rod sweater tucked into her pencil skirt, with black stockings and heels to match her sweater, all culminated with her easy twisted braid updo, and a simple pearl necklace along her neck.

Evan fingered the pearls that sat close at her throat as she thought about the night previous. Not caring so much for the interaction she had with Chloe and Maggs, they became more socialite-y than she anticipated they would, she missed the fun they all had together when they were in school together. More so how Elena fit in with Rude, sure Evan knew Elena was a talker, but also she knew Elena could easily slide into professionalism, she just boasted sometimes which isn’t awful, with Rude’s more cold quiet demeanor, it seems to be a cold breeze on a warm beach. 

As her driver zipped onto the expressway her thoughts drifted to the vibrant Turk she never got to meet prior. Gazing out the window watching the cityscape zip by for more city, Reno can’t be that much older than her, she ponders. How much has really gone on in everyone’s lives there that she used to interact with nearly on a daily basis, besides her uncle Reeve, and Tseng she hadn’t really spoken or contacted any of them. Evan knows Tseng has recently become the Director of the Turks, which she does believe was the smartest choice among the Turks she remembers. As the cab takes an exit off of the free way she registers just how close the HQ building is to the free way, and prepares herself to step out of the car upon arrival.

___

Walking through the doors to the front of the building, the lobby is not very busy at 11:00 am. Going past the receptionist unnoticed as she is busy on the phone behind the round desk, she neglects going up the stairs for the elevators to go up, and passes between both stairwells to find the elevators that go below the plate. Merely curious if her old ‘intern’ badge would work she tries it, and it beeps in allowance as it summons one to the floor for her. Stepping into the small elevator, the display only has buttons for L, and floors 1-15 and a final P floor as well. Evan hit’s the ‘3’, and the elevator proceeds to move downward. 

When the doors open again they open in a dark artificially lit hallway with navy tiled floor and even darker blue wallpaper with white lights shining down directly on the walls making the paintings on the wall visible and the room plaques next to each door. There’s a three panelled window on one wall that has 4 desks inside it, she sees Elena behind one of those desks, Elena’s back is turned so she doesn’t notice Evan as she walks by. Evan continues walking, passing a couple more doors and another large window that she knows is a small conference room for briefings, but the lights aren’t on inside of it. 

Evan stops outside a door with the plaque that reads:   
Tseng Nagatsuki  
Director of Administrative Research  
She knocks on the door with only the knuckles of her first two fingers.

“Come in,” a firm tenor voice invites.  
Evan swings the door inward stepping inside the office. Tseng doesn’t look up from the computer as he waves to her to have a seat. His office has a view over sectors 4-7 of the slums, which isn’t the prettiest view, but it was probably more helpful for any jobs that take place below the plate. The outside wall being floor to ceiling window, the carpet of his office a dark grey melding into a dark navy blue for the walls just like the hallway, but with some gold small detailing. Tseng’s desk being the only item in the office made of wood as it is a rich mahogany.

“Ah, Evan, have a seat,” he scrolls with his other hand as his dark eyes scan the screen looking for a particular file.

Evan approaches, pulls out one of the two black leather chairs from his desk and sits across from him. Evan slouches in it for a moment as she watches Tseng scroll on his screen. She leans forward and crosses her right leg over her left. Tseng moves the mouse over something and double clicks, before he leans back in his chair, elbows on the arms, and interlaces his fingers together. 

“How was your ride into the city,” Tseng asks as he brings his left ankle to rest on his right knee.

“It was long. How are you liking being ‘Director’?”

“Matter of ‘like’ is irrelevent, the Vice President likes me in this position, so I remain here,”

“You could have just said it’s good and moved on,” Evan says as she swaps her crossed legs.

“It’s good,” Tseng leans forward and turns to lean his elbows on his desk over a file folder that Evan reads her full name on. “Moving on, have you been to see your uncle yet?”

“Not yet, we’re having lunch at 1, why? Do you know why he needed me to come to the city?” Evan asks and leans forward as she sets both feet on the floor eagerly.

“I do,” He leans back in his chair, taking the file folder in his hand as he does so. “However you should talk to your uncle about it, and when you do then you should come and see me, we’ll have some things to talk about,”

“You want me to go ask now? It’s not even noon, he’s probably busy doing other things!” Evan exclaims as reasons to not go talk with her uncle. It isn’t that she doesn’t want to, it’s that normally her and Tseng talk about more things that Evan is up to on the western continent than she does with Reeve.

Tseng quirks an eyebrow as he looks her more straight in the face, “and I’m not?”

Evan sighs, stands up, and walks for the door before turning around just after she passed her chair, “sorry director,” she says clearly before heading back down the hallway to the elevator, and heading back up the lobby to change elevators to the ones that go up topside. 

Once off the lower level elevator she takes the escalator up to the lobby floor that holds the elevators to go upward toward her Uncle’s office, floor 63. She summons one with her old keycard, the doors open and she steps in the glass elevator and swipes her card and selects 63, the lift dings positively as it engages to move. Evan turns to face out over the city as she is carried up 63 flights, it’s an interesting visual to be down on ‘ground level’ and raised in the air and be able to see all of the surroundings grow smaller and further away.

When the elevator dings at 63, and makes another beep that is going to open the doors, Evan turns back around to exit. Stepping off the elevator she makes a quick turn to her left and follows the hallway she’s spent a good number of years walking to the same office her uncle has had for years. The carpet is new, it’s not as padded down and the red color looks so refreshed, or maybe it was her not being in this hallway with it’s stark contrast from the runners on the black tile, or the equally dark walls. Evan turns the last corner of her memory to a slightly ajar door with the plaque next to it that reads:  
Reeve Tuesti  
Director of Urban Planning

Evan nudges the door open, and sees that it is empty. Her uncle’s office is much different than Tseng’s. First off, it’s smaller, her uncle has a lot more books on shelves and boxes of files, one box sits on one of two wood and leather guest chairs in front of his desk. There’s plenty of loose papers across his desk, and other surfaces in his office. The only illumination is that of the not as pretty a window as Tseng’s, but a much better view by far, natural light from being topside over looking sectors 7, 8, 1, and 2. There was also the glow of his computer screen that was a memo about a meeting at noon, that was sent 5 minutes ago.

Evan watches herself as she sits in the chair in front of Reeve’s desk to not knock anything over. She leans back, kicks off her heels and props her stocking covered feet on his desk, as she’s resigned to wait for a while. She lays her hands in her lap, fingers interlaced and thumbs tapping out a small bout of anxiety. Her eyes constantly scan the slightly messy office by her standards, but after coming directly from Tseng’s immaculately clean larger office, this looks like a teenage boy’s bedroom. The file folder poking a corner over the edge of the desk next to a decorative hourglass. The label tab is visible and it reads “Tuesti, Julian”, her dad’s name. This intrigues her and she drops her feet to the floor and leans forward to pluck it out of the pile. As she moves it toward her two more atop of it also move, one that’s labeled “Tuesti, Catherine” the top on is upside down. She grabs the three folders, however before she lifts them off the desk, the door is pushed open recklessly. Evan releases the files not wanting to appear nosy, or if it’s something not for her eyes, her mind wanders so many directions into what could be in those folders. She whips her head around to see it is her uncle Reeve who came in the door. Carrying a bundle of folders in one arm, and attempting to drink his coffee as he walks over to his desk he doesn’t notice his niece until he starts to pull out his chair.

“Ah, Victoria, I didn’t expect to see you for another hour,” Reeve says as he sets the folders that were in his arm with a clipboard on his desk. After one more long drink of his coffee he sets his cup down too. 

“It’s Evan, Reeve,” Evan tells him flatly.

“Ah, yes, well, what brings in the early visit,”

“Apparently there’s some news that involves me, that even Tseng won’t tell me about until I talk to you, so?” Evan pauses, “What’s up?”

Reeve sighs, and pulls out his chair before sinking into it. He leans back in his chair, “How much do you know about what your mother had planned for you?”

“My mother, what does she have to do with anything?”

“More than you probably would guess,”

“Well she’s dead it’s kind of hard to think about her having her fingers in anything right now,” Evan says right now getting to her feet, remembering the dislike she had for her mother leading up to her death.

“She had more of an impact than my brother did on your future. He was the one who had a position in the company, but your mother was still close friends with the President’s wife,” Reeve digs through the stack of files, pulling out the one labeled “Tuesti, Catherine”. “She wanted you to be able to marry well,”

“Wow, do people still do that shit? I’m aware of already being born into wealth, I’m also very capable to live well without needing to marry to survive. She was just a raging cunt pushing me into all those etiquette classes filling my schedule with all these activities, as a kid. Did you know I never had a real genuine friend until after I went to Midgar Academy for Girls. Until that woman died I was never alone. Until then I never knew a lot of things.” She drops her hands and weight with force onto Reeve’s desk leaning in toward him, “So don’t you dare, sit there and tell me that woman had only good intentions,”

“Catherine wasn’t perfect, but she wanted you to be set-up,”

“Look, I don’t care, at least her pushy nature paid off into ShinRa sponsoring me. That was actually a relief, she didn’t feel the need to be my escort to everything after that, because the company would do it.”

“I didn’t always agree with her methods after Julian died, but she felt she had your best interest at heart,”

“She was only thinking of herself, and what I could do for her, and how she could live through me!” Evan exclaims harshly, the pause after only filled with her heavy breathing as she regains her composure. “What does she have to do with what’s going on anyway?”

Reeve gestures for Evan to sit back down to which she does, and Reeve pulls up closer to his desk, and pulls a single sheet of paper from the folder with her mother’s name on it. “This,” Reeve begins placing the paper in his hand on the desk in front of her, “is a memo, from the president referencing his wife and your mother’s friendship and how it was them, that wanted you to marry Rufus, he’s--”

Evan depletes into her seat, “Seriously, getting me out here, to tell me two dead women want me to marry the spoiled boy I played blocks with when I was three?” Evan jumps to her feet again feeling incredibly antsy, “Do I even have a choice, like a real one?”

Reeve sighs, stands up and walks around his desk to lay his hands on his niece’s shoulders to calm her. “Honestly, I suspect if you were to say no, any of your ambitions of coming into the fold of the company would not come to fruition. Your ambitions to change it from the inside would fall apart,”

“Is this a public relations thing?” Evan asks as she looks up at her uncle, and he removes his hands from her shoulders.

Reeve steps back to lean on his desk, and crosses his arms, “what gave you that impression?”

“The majority of the populous disagrees with the war in Wutai, which is bad publicity. But, the heir to the family fortune gets engaged, married, that’s some well timed good publicity.”

“I, -- That’s probably why the timing for this is now,” Reeve ponders bringing one of his hands up to stroke his chin, contemplating. “Your mother actually had talked about it to me before, and I don’t know if she ever brought it up to your father or not before he died.”

Evan walks over to the window in his office looking out over the bustling top city with the sun in the sky. “As much as I don’t want to,” she pauses, and turns around to face Reeve. “I can’t help but wonder how much I could change if I did,” 

“It’s a business, not a monarchy,”

“I realize that, but I would always have Rufus’s ear, and I know I have you and Tseng as allies. I know Rufus has always had some amount of daddy issues, It can’t be that hard to push some ideas through him,”

“Don’t underestimate Rufus, he has other motivations that his father doesn’t have, and they may not always align with your goals. I believe you could have a good influence over him, but don’t think it will always be easy.”

“Do you think I’d be making a mistake if I went through with it?” Evan asks her uncle sincerely.

“Your Mother,--”

“Fuck my mother, I want your honest thoughts on if you think it’s a mistake,”

“It has risks all of its own,” Reeve approaches Evan by the window. “I do not think Rufus is heinous enough to lay a hand against you, if that is what you are asking.”

“Then, with you and Tseng on my side for this, I think I can do it,” Evan nods, and hugs her uncle. Once she releases him she asks, “So how do we start?”

“First we have to let both the president and Rufus know you have responded positively,”

“How many people know about this?”

“Officially, The president, Rufus, you, myself, probably Heidegger, and Tseng,”

“Tseng is aware I’m sure, I stopped to see him first since we had a late lunch scheduled, but he told me to see you before him and I had any further discussions.” Evan explains, and Reeve nods. 

“I’ll call up a meeting for the four of us after we actually eat some lunch, I need a moment outside of this building,” Reeve circles back to his desk, gathering up his wallet and phone before, ringing his assistant on speaker. “My niece and I are leaving the building for lunch, if you are staying, please take messages of any calls, if time sensitive redirect the calls to my cell phone, thank you.” Reeve stands back up and looks over at his niece, “Shall we?”

“Let’s,” as Evan heads for the door Reeve, being much closer, steps toward the door and opens it for her as they depart.

\-----

Evan and Reeve walk to an upscale sushi house only a couple of blocks away from ShinRa HQ. Upon walking in, Reeve gives their last name for a reserved lunch table by the window, but secluded.

“So how is this going to work, I don’t imagine it’s gonna be planning a wedding right away, because that screams that it’s arranged,” Evan starts after their server pours water into their water glasses, and asks for a drink order to which they both order hot tea.

“There is a ShinRa Charity Gala at the end of the week, you and Rufus are to both attend, and have a public friendly greeting of one another, and then there will be occasional public outings for the two of you to go on together, and eventually he will propose, and then there’s an engagement period and then a wedding.”

“Seems like it’s all planned out then, what kind of timetable almost feels like that should be at least two years.”

“Since you two have known each other before, the president is hoping for you two to be married, hopefully with a kid on the way, in 6 months,”

Evan spits out the water that was in her mouth, “Are you shitting me!?” Evan collapses further into her seat. 

“The timetable is negotiable,” Reeve leans his elbows on the table, “If you’re ready, we can have a meeting about it, the president is expecting me to call him after lunch, so we can schedule a meeting to discuss everything.”

“It better be negotiable, that’s ridiculous,” Evan sits back up in her chair. “Also I understand kids would be expected in the long term, but in the now, talking about it,”

“I believe that is also negotiable, about pushing that back at least, it won’t ever come off the table.” Reeve relaxes off his elbows and leans back into his seat just as their server comes around with their hot tea.

**Author's Note:**

> I'm hoping to be fairly patterned into updating every other week.


End file.
